Four years on from the brutal rape and murder of his wife Jill Meagher in Melbourne, Tom Meagher is calling for the introduction of 'sexual consent' classes - lessons which will be aimed at children as young as 12-years-old.
Mr. Meagher, a supporter of the White Ribbon movement - a campaign to stop violence against women - insists that the younger generation is slowly becoming desensitised to violent online pornography - something which he feels is ultimately stunting our childrens' emotional development.
According to the Sunday Independent, Mr. Meagher insists the the introduction of 'sexual consent' classes in a child's first year at secondary school would do much to combat the issue, saying: "I think you can teach about consent from a very young age, without it being very explicit."
"The instruction techniques must not be too graphic and it should be done in an age-appropriate way," he continued as he reinforced the importance of outlining how a functional relationship works to youngsters embarking on a new chapter in their lives.
Mr. Meagher, who has given talks to Transition Year students, is of the opinion that more needs to be done in order to address an issue which he deems both "shocking" and "damaging", saying: "I think we've reached a stage where we need to get the message through to young people as soon they start secondary school, at about the age of 12 or 13."
"At that stage, we can then introduce ideas around boundaries and relationships and then add to it as teenagers get older, making the instruction more relevant as they grow up," he continued. "They need to learn what constitutes a healthy sexual relationship and what it means to respect boundaries."
Concerned as to the effect violent pornography has on the country's younger generation, Mr. Meagher insists we address the matter with immediate effect, asserting: "This whole problem is a societal issue and we can't keep brushing it under the carpet."
Adrian Earnest Bayley pleaded guilty to Jill's rape and murder in April 2013.
